Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.1.1 · verse 118 of the four thousand
Meaning
(The cowherd girls cry out as the child plays bogey, pulling faces to frighten them.) He holds on His left the conch that He blows to all men's wonder; He plays the fine bamboo flute. For the patient kings who lost at the false game of dice and could not get even ten villages, He went as messenger and brought about the Bharata war. That messenger is playing bogey at us! O mother, He is playing bogey at us!
Word by word
- meccu ūtu caṅkam iṭattāṉ
- He who holds on His left the conch He blows, admired by all
- nal vēy ūti
- playing the fine bamboo flute
- poyc cūtiṟ tōṟṟa
- who lost at the false game of dice
- poṟai uṭai maṉṉarkkāy
- for the patient kings, the Pandavas
- pattu ūr peṟātu
- not getting even ten villages
- appūcci kāṭṭukiṉṟāṉ
- is playing bogey, pulling faces to frighten us
- ammaṉē
- O mother!
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.1.2 · verse 119 of the four thousand
Meaning
Kings with shoulders like mountains, great chariot warriors and many others trembled, and the hundred Kauravas fell and perished, as Partha bent his bow. He who stood in front on that strong chariot, the red-eyed restless one, has come and is playing bogey at us! O mother, He is playing bogey at us!
Word by word
- malai purai tōḷ
- shoulders like mountains
- māratarum
- great chariot warriors
- nūṟṟuvarum paṭṭaḻiya
- the hundred Kauravas falling and perishing
- pārttaṉ cilai vaḷaiyat
- as Partha (Arjuna) bent his bow
- tiṇtērmēl muṉniṉṟa
- who stood in front on the strong chariot
- ceṅkaṇ alavalai
- the red-eyed restless one
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.1.3 · verse 120 of the four thousand
Meaning
He entered the burning, poisoned water, climbed the kadamba tree, leapt onto the cruel hoods of Kaliya and danced there with His anklets ringing. He played the bamboo flute and stood there, the wondrous one. That cowherd has come and is playing bogey at us! O mother, He is playing bogey at us!
Word by word
- kāyum nīr pukkuk
- entering the burning (poisoned) water
- kaṭampu ēṟi
- climbing the kadamba tree
- tīya paṇattiṟ
- on the cruel hoods
- cilampu ārkkap
- with His anklets ringing
- vēyiṉ kuḻal ūti
- playing the bamboo flute
- vittakaṉāy niṉṟa
- who stood there, the wondrous one
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.1.4 · verse 121 of the four thousand
Meaning
Born in the dark of night, He went away to the simple, sturdy cowherds and took away their fear. He tumbled cruel Kamsa so that he died. And in those days He took our fine silk clothes, the rascal! He has come and is playing bogey at us! O mother, He is playing bogey at us!
Word by word
- iruṭṭiṟ piṟantu pōy
- born in the dark, He went away
- ēḻai val āyar
- the simple, sturdy cowherds
- maruṭṭait tavirppittu
- taking away their fear
- vaṉ kañcaṉ māḷap
- so that cruel Kamsa died
- eṅkaḷ pūmpaṭṭuk koṇṭa
- who took our fine silk clothes
- araṭṭaṉ
- the rascal, the mischief-maker
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.1.5 · verse 122 of the four thousand
Meaning
He kicked the cart to pieces. When He was caught stealing ghee, Nanda's wife took the churning rope and smacked Him and bound Him, so that He leapt and wriggled and squirmed; that day He was tied up. That one has come and is playing bogey at us! O mother, He is playing bogey at us!
Word by word
- cāṭu citaṟit
- smashing the cart to pieces
- tiruṭi neykku
- stealing for the ghee
- nantaṉ maṉaivi
- Nanda's wife, Yashoda
- kaṭai tāmpāl
- with the churning rope
- tuḷḷit tuṭikkat tuṭikka
- leaping and wriggling and squirming
- āppūṇṭāṉ
- He who was tied up
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.1.6 · verse 123 of the four thousand
Meaning
He was born, fair and lovely, to the young lady Devaki, and then He swallowed the ghee, the milk and the curd that we of the cowherd village had put away. Our Lord has come and is playing bogey at us! O mother, He is playing bogey at us!
Word by word
- tēvaki naṅkaikkuc
- to the lady Devaki
- coppaṭat tōṉṟi
- born, fair and lovely
- toṟuppāṭiyōm
- we of the cowherd village
- tuppamum pālum tayirum
- ghee, milk and curd
- viḻuṅkiya appaṉ
- our Lord who swallowed them
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.1.7 · verse 124 of the four thousand
Meaning
Did she adopt Him? Or did she bear Him herself? He is the young lion of Yashoda, who is one in heart with Him: the lion among cowherds, Gopala, with thick clusters of dark curls. My Father has come and is playing bogey at us! O mother, He is playing bogey at us!
Word by word
- tattuk koṇṭāḷ kolō
- did she adopt Him?
- tāṉē peṟṟāḷ kolō
- or did she bear Him herself?
- cittam aṉaiyāḷ
- she who is one in heart with Him
- iḷañciṅkam
- young lion
- kottu ār karuṅkuḻaṟ
- with thick clusters of dark curls
- kōpāla kōḷari
- Gopala, the mighty lion among cowherds
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.1.8 · verse 125 of the four thousand
Meaning
Heeding the word of the cruel hunchback, He gave the tall elephants, the horses and the kingdom of the earth, all of it, to Bharata, and went into the harsh forest. He with the beautiful eyes has come and is playing bogey at us! O mother, He is playing bogey at us!
Word by word
- kūṉicoṟ koṇṭu
- heeding the hunchback's word (Manthara's)
- tuṅkak kariyum pariyum
- the tall elephants and the horses
- irācciyamum
- and the kingdom
- parataṟku aruḷi
- giving it to Bharata
- vaṉkāṉ aṭai
- who went into the harsh forest
- aṅ kaṇṇaṉ
- He with beautiful eyes
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.1.9 · verse 126 of the four thousand
Meaning
The elephant caught in the jaws of the cruel crocodile cried out and raised its trunk in prayer: "My Kanna, Kanna!" To help it, He rode the bird Garuda there and ended its terrible suffering. That mighty one has come and is playing bogey at us! O mother, He is playing bogey at us!
Word by word
- pataka mutalaivāyp paṭṭa kaḷiṟu
- the elephant caught in the cruel crocodile's jaws (Gajendra)
- kataṟik kaikūppi
- crying out and raising its trunk in prayer
- puḷ ūrntu
- riding the bird, Garuda
- uṟutuyar tīrtta
- who ended its terrible suffering
- atakaṉ
- the mighty one
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.1.10 · verse 127 of the four thousand
Meaning
Vishnuchitta has unfolded these songs of bogey, rich in words, about the bowman who loosed His arrows till mighty Lanka was thrown into confusion. Those who master all ten of them will go to Vaikuntham and abide there for ever.
Word by word
- vallāḷ ilaṅkai
- Lanka of mighty warriors
- malaṅkac caran turanta
- loosing arrows till it was thrown into confusion
- villāḷaṉai
- the bowman, Rama
- col ārnta
- rich in words
- appūccip pāṭal
- songs of bogey
- vaikuntam maṉṉi irupparē
- will abide in Vaikuntham for ever
Verse text: the word-separated e-text of the Nalayira Divya Prabandham by Project Madurai, checked verse by verse against its second edition. Meanings are simple renderings in the light of the acharyas' commentaries, written for this site, and are awaiting a scholar's review.